Bob Iger at WDW now ... BoD to Follow?

mahnamahna101

Well-Known Member
Those haven't even been rumored....
I remember seeing a couple insiders on here saying Muppets would get a slightly plussed presence (Mama Melrose replacement and maybe a Kermit/Piggy M&G), rather than replaced/bulldozed. And GMR has been rumored to be upgraded for years lol. Not just pulling it out of thin air. If they're spending $1.75 B-$2 B on DHS, they'd be foolish not to give GMR or MuppetVision a tiny sprinkling of that.

Regardless, both of those seem like cheap, easy ways to fix up DHS while the big stuff is under construction.

Reskinning Mama Melrose's and adding some M&Gs and maybe a new film for MuppetVision would be $75-100 million, right? If you keep MuppetVision the same, it's $25-30 million, maybe $35-40 million. For a brand new area, that's a great deal. And a GMR upgrade could be $30-50 million. Both far cheaper than brand new Ds/Es and they could be done by summer 2017 if TDO gets going on them in the fall.

DHS could use placemaking throughout (SoA, Sunset, Animation Courtyard included), because some new Star Wars attractions and TSPL would be too little, too late.

Similar to Universal Orlando after WWOHP's debut in 2010, DHS has a long, LONG way to go, even with the juggernaut that is Star Wars Land. AK should be at 12.5-13.5 million by 2019, Epcot (if an Imagination/WoL overhaul is fasttracked) should be at 12.5-13.5 million due to Frozenstrom and whatever Inside Out takes over, MK will continue to do 18-20 million. DHS? Anything much more than 10 million would shock me.

The good news is that Universal Orlando will have completely rebounded past pre-9/11 numbers this year and should approach, if not surpass, 10 million by 2018. if F&F/Nintendo/MSHI revamp debut in the same time-frame. That means DHS can actually return to 13-14 million and sustain those levels, if TDO does another investment in the mid-late 2020s to further improve the park. 15 million or so ought to be the goal for DHS/AK, and 17-18 million for Epcot. MK shouldn't increase any further until further attraction/capacity expansion (2021-2022 at the earliest)

WDW should be in a good place by 2021/2022, though.
 

mahnamahna101

Well-Known Member
I'm sure there was a tipping point. I'm not privy to every move these very big business leaders make. I know they were prepared to spend a large sum on WDW upgrades in 2008 and then the economy crashed and they got very gun shy. It's part of why they decided to dump $2 billion and counting (and we'll never know the final real cost) on NGE. So, no, I don't think they all were in denial (some folks certainly were -- Rasulo and Staggs being two). If you ever got George K in a weak moment (say surround him with some cute 20-something CPers from Iowa and Nebraska!), I think he would have said that WDW was largely a mess when he left for Paris in 2006 and much more of a mess when he returned from Anaheim in 2012/2013.

But I don't think it was any one thing, as you could likely surmise. It was a combo deal over many years. And it will still take many years to make things better. I truly think it will be 2021 before WDW is about where it needs to be.
What's sad is that TDO was willing to dump $2 billion on MM+ when that money could have been split between DHS and Epcot.

With Pixar Place expanded and the placemaking already done ($1 billion), they would only have had to invest $500-600 million on Star Wars Land for DHS to be in a good place. Maybe another $300-400 million for the two parking garages.

Same for Epcot ($1 billion). With Imagination overhauled, Energy updated and something in the WoL, along with SSE/Innoventions updates and a new theater for Soarin', they would have been able to invest $300-400 million into a new FW pavillion after Frozenstrom.

With Epcot and DHS relatively up to speed by 2015, and Pandora done by 2016 as originally planned, they could have gone full-speed ahead with Star Wars Land (late 2018-early 2019), and a MK revamp for 2021-2022.

Just so sad that TDO would rather waste $2 billion on micromanaging vacations than new expansions.
 

NowInc

Well-Known Member
And yet when I was there in June they had janitorial staff in each rest room cleaning every time I visited a rest room and folks picking up trash in every line and in every major walk way. Haven't seen that in ages, restaurants I haven't seen open since the 90's were open every day I was there. In a week only 2 over stressed cast members at MK, which is much better than previous years.

MK and DAK were wonderfully staffed, Epcot and Studios felt less 'Disney' than MK and DAK did.

Only fair to mention that June is also the heavy "training" and new hire season. You will always have an excess of staff (sometimes as much as triple the normal amount) on hand for that month to gear up for the summer.
 

Mike S

Well-Known Member
You're too much of a "minion".

pickmepickmepickmepickme
image.jpg
 

zakattack99

Well-Known Member
In the Parks
No
I remember seeing a couple insiders on here saying Muppets would get a slightly plussed presence (Mama Melrose replacement and maybe a Kermit/Piggy M&G), rather than replaced/bulldozed. And GMR has been rumored to be upgraded for years lol. Not just pulling it out of thin air. If they're spending $1.75 B-$2 B on DHS, they'd be foolish not to give GMR or MuppetVision a tiny sprinkling of that.

Regardless, both of those seem like cheap, easy ways to fix up DHS while the big stuff is under construction.

Reskinning Mama Melrose's and adding some M&Gs and maybe a new film for MuppetVision would be $75-100 million, right? If you keep MuppetVision the same, it's $25-30 million, maybe $35-40 million. For a brand new area, that's a great deal. And a GMR upgrade could be $30-50 million. Both far cheaper than brand new Ds/Es and they could be done by summer 2017 if TDO gets going on them in the fall.

My personal take on this is that they are going to hold off on Muppets for at least another year. If the new Muppets TV show is a hit i would expect it to be put on the front burner and part of an update. If not it might just be left alone, which would be sad considering how popular the last two movies are as well as all the work that has gone into introducing them to a new generation. I love the muppets ride and I really would love to see a mini-muppets land in the new update, and I am hoping that the new show is as good as I want it to be! On a side note how funny would it be if they did a episode of the Muppets attending the reopening of their new ride in DHS, great cross promotion and probably a lot of funny elements!

On another side note, if the muppets TV show is successful and they are currently in full time production for that, I wonder if it would drive the cost of a new film down considering they would have cast, costumes, sets, crew, and equipment on hand and ready... it would seem to me that it might help expedite a new attraction that would be realitivly cheap to implement as well as freeing up money for more themeing and other experiences.
 

PhotoDave219

Well-Known Member
My personal take on this is that they are going to hold off on Muppets for at least another year. If the new Muppets TV show is a hit i would expect it to be put on the front burner and part of an update. If not it might just be left alone, which would be sad considering how popular the last two movies are as well as all the work that has gone into introducing them to a new generation. I love the muppets ride and I really would love to see a mini-muppets land in the new update, and I am hoping that the new show is as good as I want it to be! On a side note how funny would it be if they did a episode of the Muppets attending the reopening of their new ride in DHS, great cross promotion and probably a lot of funny elements!

On another side note, if the muppets TV show is successful and they are currently in full time production for that, I wonder if it would drive the cost of a new film down considering they would have cast, costumes, sets, crew, and equipment on hand and ready... it would seem to me that it might help expedite a new attraction that would be realitivly cheap to implement as well as freeing up money for more themeing and other experiences.

I have no indication whatsoever of the Muppets being either in or out of last week's Board Meeting presentation. Pixar, Star Wars, Marvel (DCA) yes. Nothing about the Muppets.
 

Cesar R M

Well-Known Member
What's sad is that TDO was willing to dump $2 billion on MM+ when that money could have been split between DHS and Epcot.

With Pixar Place expanded and the placemaking already done ($1 billion), they would only have had to invest $500-600 million on Star Wars Land for DHS to be in a good place. Maybe another $300-400 million for the two parking garages.

Same for Epcot ($1 billion). With Imagination overhauled, Energy updated and something in the WoL, along with SSE/Innoventions updates and a new theater for Soarin', they would have been able to invest $300-400 million into a new FW pavillion after Frozenstrom.

With Epcot and DHS relatively up to speed by 2015, and Pandora done by 2016 as originally planned, they could have gone full-speed ahead with Star Wars Land (late 2018-early 2019), and a MK revamp for 2021-2022.

Just so sad that TDO would rather waste $2 billion on micromanaging vacations than new expansions.
Not to defend MM+, but remember that these 2 billions were in part to infrastructure changes that were needed (better networking, wifi, upgrade on systems..etc..)
 

PhotoDave219

Well-Known Member
Not to defend MM+, but remember that these 2 billions were in part to infrastructure changes that were needed (better networking, wifi, upgrade on systems..etc..)

You mean necessary infrastructure upgrades?

Not to belabor the MM+/NGE convos ad nauseum, beyond taking FP, ADRs and a few other things and integrating them into a smartphone app..... they didn't accomplish much OTHER than infrastructure upgrades. Seems like they overpaid for everything too.
 

aladdin2007

Well-Known Member
MK looks great compared to a few years ago and nothing as bad as the late 80's. It's like you forget how horrible MK looked in the late 80's thru the tomorrowland 94 refreshes.

I would argue that MK looks better since Staggs and George took over than any time since at least 2007 maybe since 2000.

Sorry but I have to disagree, the park was beautiful back then in terms of its appearance. Maybe tomorrowland was outdated but it had the waterfall walls. Check out the the old book Gardens of Walt Disney World, the park was an oasis of trees, gardens, flowers, toparies, and lights. Today the place has been gutted down to mass ugly pavement and nothing but a giant cattle driven mall. It really is a shame how it has changed. Half the time I dont even feel like Im at Disney anymore, hearing taylor swift or miley cyrus down main street etc or whatever it is they use now for that street parade thing,,,it just seems like they are you know what bent on stripping disney of disney.
 

lazyboy97o

Well-Known Member
IP matters from a marketing standpoint. That's why it's important to Disney and Universal. It's easier to sell guests on the new area when they can wrap their head around an intellectual property they're familiar with. No matter how good a non-IP ride is or a ride around an IP they're not interested in, it's a much easier sell if they like the IP.

When a guest is there they'll appreciate the lesser IP/non IP ride, but the high demand IP gets them to book the trip.
That's not very convincing after Inside Out's huge opening. It's easier for marketing to sell something known. It's easier to not have to maintain a strong identity that people trust.
 

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